Picker stick



Dec. 19, 1950 T. R. WAGELEY PICKER suck 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3,1948 Will, u w .0

Tevis Wagelqy Dec. 19, 1950 T. R. WAGELEY 2,534,437

PICKER STICK Filed March 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vlllgl ggg qlllllll/ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 PICKER STICK Tevis R. Wageley,Martin'sburg, W. Va, assignor of one-half to Dunn Woolen Company,Martinsburg,W. Va.

Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,799

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in protection devices forpicker sticks for looms and the like. More particularly, the inventionrelates to improved safety fasteners for such picker sticks.

It is well-known that the picker stick which is employed on looms forthe purpose of casting the shuttle across the warp often has its motionaccidently interrupted such as by the defective working of the boxmotion 01' other causes and under such conditions the picker stick islikely .to become broken and rendered inoperative. Such damage to thepicker stick, furthermore, usually results in serious damage to otherworking parts of the loom and the shuttles.

Efforts have been made in the past to minimize the likelihood of injuryto picker sticks by the incorporation of safety fasteners or otherreleasing devices in the picker stick or its pivotal support whereby torelease the picker stick in the event it becomes caught in operation.Such devices have been ineffective in that the picker stick oftenaccidently becomes released during its normal operation, particularlyupon the occasion of bumper impact, and operation of the loom must beinterrupted until the stick is replaced. Any attempt to adjust thedevice so that the picker stick will not become dislodged upon bumperimpact necessarily results in such tight tension on the latch or otherfastening means that the picker stick will not be released when it isnecessary.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to avoid theforegoing and other defects of prior art devices and to provide a pickerstick safety construction which is operative to release the picker stickonly at necessary times during its cycle of movement and which willprevent release of the picker stick after it has made its sweep andencounters impact with the bumper. Thus, the invention contemplates asafety latch construction whereby the picker stick cannot accidentlybecome dislodged.

A further object and advantage of the invention is to provide such adevice which is composed of a minimum number of parts and which issimple in construction and positive in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principlesof the invention has been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a picker stick iii) and supporttherefore constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows but with the rocking arm removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, similar to Fig. 1, but showin thepicker stick in its outermost position and the position of the partsafter release of the safety mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals referto like parts, the picker stick I0 is provided at its upper or free endwith the usual picker 12. the inward thrust of which causes the throw ofthe shuttle, indicated at A, across the warp. The picker stick l0receives intermittent oscillatory motion from the usual reciprocatingbar or sweep stick which is connected to the picker stick in anysuitable manner, such as by the lug strap l4 shown.

The. lower end of picker stick la is pivotally attached to a travelingstud Hi. The stud I6 is supported for sliding movement in a guide framel8 which'is channeled to receive the enlarged or base portion ll of thestud l6 and which is itself secured by the stud Hi to the rocking arm ofthe loom. indicated at 2a.

A bumper impact collar 22 embraces a portion of the. picker stick ID at.its pivot point and is secured to the stud It by nut 24 for pivotalmovement together with the picker stick. The bumper impact device 22 isprovided with an integral laterally projecting lug 26, as shown, thepurpose of which will be later apparent.

The traveling stud I6 is normally held in stationary position by alocking key 28 having a flanged outer end which abuts a lug 30 carriedby the guide frame [8 and which is provided at its inner end with abeveled projection 32 which seats normally in a recess 34 provided inthe traveling base portion l1 integral with the stud I6. The locking key28 and traveling stud base I! are normally held in engagement, as shownin Fig. 2, by means of bolt 38 and spring 36, the tension of which maybe adjusted by nut 40. Locking collar 28 is further provided with anintegral laterally extending lug 42 which is offset from the plane ofand underlies the lug '26 carried by bumper impact collar 22.

The operation of the various parts of the device above described will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art. At'the time of impact withthe bumper, upon inward or forward thrust of the picker stick ill, thelug 26 which pivots with the picker stick will overlie the lug 42 asshown in Fig. 1 whereby to prevent the tendency of stud base I! andlocking collar 28 to separate as the result of the impact whereby toavoid undesired accidental release of the picker stick 10. However, uponoutward thrust of the picker by rearward pivotal movement of the pickerstick ID, the various parts will assume the position wherein the lockinglug 26 moves pivotally to a position offset from and free of the lug 42so that the locking key 28 is free to resist the tension of spring 36and release the traveling stud 16 in the event the picker becomescaught, thus to release the picker stick It] to prevent damage to theparts. The operation is such that when the picker stick l reaches itsoutwardmost position, the lug 25 has been pivoted so as to permit thekey 28 to move against the tension of the spring 36. The action of thespring 35 is suflicient under normal operating conditions to keep thekey 28 in its locked relation with the lug 38 and the projection 32seated in the recess 34. However, when the picker stick It is caught ormeets an obstruction at its extreme outward position, the movement orforce imparted to the stick lli by the reciprocating bar M overcomes thetension of the spring 36 so that the key 28 and the projection 32 arereleased from their fixed positions permitting the flange l? of the boltIt to ride in the slide [8 so that the pivot previously provided by thebolt It moves and is no longer operative. The picker stick will then, ineffect, be inoperative. It will be apparent that the device of theinvention is operable as a safety means to release the picker stick itupon any abrupt interruption of its sweeping motion and is also operableas a lock to prevent accidental release of the picker stick as theresult of bumper impact whereby to avoid unnecessary interruption of theoperation of the loom.

It will be understood that the precise structure herein shown anddescribed is exemplary only oi the principles of the invention whichembrace such modified construction and arrangement of parts as areembodied Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a picker stick movable in a path which includes a position ofbumper impact, slidable pivot means for supporting said picker stick,means for holding said pivot means in a fixed pivotal axis, said holdingmeans being releasable to permit sliding movement of said pivot meansaway from its fixed axis, and means to prevent release of said holdingmeans when the picker stick is in bumper impact position.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the release preventing means iscarried by the picker stick.

3. In combination with a loom including a picker stick movable in a pathwhich includes a position of bumper impact, a track secured to the loomadjacent the base of the picker stick, a pivot support for the pickerstick slidably mounted on said track, means for holding said pickerstick support on a fixed pivotal axis, said holding means beingreleasable to permit sliding movement of said support along said trackaway from its fixed axis, and means to prevent release of said holdingmeans when the picker stick is in bumper impact position.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the release preventing means iscarried by the picker stick.

5. In a picker stick, means for supporting the picker stick on a pivotalfixed axis for describing a path of picking motion, means operable torelease the picker stick from its fixed pivotal axis when its path ofmotion is interrupted, and means for preventing operation of saidreleasing means during a selected portion of said path.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the path of picking motion includesa position of bumper impact and the release preventing means is operableonly when the picker stick is in substantially such position.

TEVIS R. WAGELEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 665,904 Heibel Jan. 15, 1901742,695 Marcy Oct. 27, 1903 1,488,532 Douglass Apr. 1, 1924 2,527,385Alix Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,786 GreatBritain of 1894

